mikialama

This film fell far short of what it could have been. Aisha is an immigrant nanny who goes to work for a wealthy family with a young daughter. They seem perfect, but it isn't long before she sees beneath the veneer. Still, she endures in order to earn enough money to being her young son to join her in America. In the meantime, she starts to have ominous dreams and hallucinations about water. The imagery and cinematography in the film were lovely, and the actors were adequate, but the story never really fleshed out. Where it falls short is in being far too subtle--almost minimalist--in trying to tell what could have been a much richer tale of hope, discovery, disappointment, grief and rebirth.

The stars in "My Liberation Notes" all have impeccable pedigrees when it comes to their past works--which would lead one to anticipate a remarkable production. But for me, there was just no way to get past the storyline which dragged so woefully that the drama is only remarkable in that it is perhaps the most awkward and mind-numbingly slow kdrama I have ever seen (and I have seen MANY). I realize the point was to present characters who are transparent and real--unlike many other kdramas. However, it probably was not a good idea to make all but one of the main characters such extreme introverts that conversation is practically non-existent. This show dragged so horribly that it almost had me in tears of utter boredom throughout the entire 16 episodes. Because I have a personal rule about finishing shows I have started in order to give each one the full benefit of the doubt, I soldiered on, hoping for a great conclusion. Alas, when the end came, I thought, "I suffered through 16 episodes for THIS??" There is no question that the snail's pace burn between Kim Ji Won and Son Seok Ku would have made for excellent chemistry, and the same for the pairing of Lee El and Lee Ki Woo IF they had had anything in the script to work with. They just did not. And Lee Min Ki portrays the "loser" brother who just can't find his place in the world very well. But none of that makes up for the lack of dialog and the long, pregnant pauses which stretch into seeming eternity. Admittedly, I'm an extrovert, so watching extremely introverted people sitting together in utter silence at meals, in rooms together, at work, etc, was very difficult. And I'm sure not being Korean myself meant there were cultural nuances I didn't get. But when I found myself hitting the :10 fast forward button multiple times in just one scene, I gave up trying to get any enjoyment out of it. There were perhaps two scenes which seemed beautifully done--but then the script reverted back to monotony. Finishing it was one of the most painful streaming experiences ever. If you are an introvert, you might understand and appreciate this drama far more than I did. That's only way I can figure out its 8+ rating. And that's too bad.

The Untamed was my glorious introduction to Chinese costume drama and wuxian, but the positively luminous performances of leads Wang Yibo and Xiao Zhan more than whetted my appetite forthe gene and led me to look for more. Oh! My Emperor has not nearly the production values or complexities of Untamed but it does have Xiao Zhan and a cast of talented actors as well as a fun premise which is sort of a cross (to put it in perspective for Westerners)of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and the beloved film Sabrina. The plot: a young doctor in modern day has an accident and is somehow transported to an feudal fantasyland whose noble families are each connected to different signs of the Zodiac and have magical powers. She quite literally falls in with these people, including the Emperor, his prince brothers and his Royal Uncle (Xiao Zhan) who then all fall under the spell of her quirky but delightful personality. I admit to having only seen Season 1 thus far but it is (for the most part) engaging and entertaining. For new Xiao Zhan fans who also having been looking for his body of work, the actor has a good, solid role as the Royal Uncle (although not the lead) and when he is on screen, it's hard to look at anyone else. But tear your eyes away so you can enjoy the delightful work of Rosy Zhao s theyoung doctor whose comedic timing had me laughing out loud. Jiacheng Gu has the lead role of the emperor and he plays the almost homely, serious young ruler very, very well. Also worth looking out for are Jiacheng Wu who plays the emperor's brother with great enthusiasm and Emn Chen as Royal Uncle's best friend. This is a English sub-titled series. Those can sometimes be hit or miss on quality, but these subs are quite good. Definitely a must-see!

I love campy, over the top, totally preposterous films with a cast of thousands that can only come out of Bollywood and Sheshnaag is near the top of the list in this category. Two magical snakes who can become human (a la Sridevi in Nagina) and grant wishes, a beautiful woman and a drunken husband, a maharaj who wants to become an immortal god, an evil real-estate developer with an innocent daughter and a wise fool whose flute playing summons animals and who also falls in love with the aforesaid daughter... what's not to love?? The story gets lost in its own intricacies, the costumes are cheesy and shoddy, the special effects are horrific, but it's still just such implausible fun, although I don't think it was meant to be humorous originally. It's one of those movies that is so bad that it's good. (You get the feeling that director K. Reddy must have said "Let's see if this works...it couldn't hurt!" every single day of shooting.) Part of what saves Sheshnaag is the cast. Jeetendra as the magical boy snake is his usual earnest, heroic self and paired with Madhavi as his girl snake partner. (Madhavi's got mad snake dancing skills, but truthfully Jeetendra does not-part of the hilarity of that scene.) Rekha is, of course, the beautiful, poor woman married to Anupam Kher's character. Both of these actors always give a thousand percent in any film they do, and this is no exception. Rekha is always pure joy with her dignity and grace, her dancing breath-taking. Anupam Kher is in the surprising role of bad guy and this was made when he had hair, so it's worth it just for those two things. Rishi Kapoor is the wise fool who in love with Mandakini's character. And Danny Denzongpa absolutely ROCKS as the power hungry maharaj. He's a well-known Bollywood villain who actually, I think, gives Om Prakash a run for his money in that category. Don't watch this film for any depth ot lessons or even good special effects-because you won't find that. But you will find a absolutely classic example of masala film gone crazy, and that makes it really fun.

Kaamyaab was started at Red Chillies in 2018, but it did not release until March 2020. Therefore, it is considered a 2020 film. Kaamyaab is the story of a retired character actor from the 70s and 80s (what Bollywood calls a "side actor") who realizes during an interview that he has only made 499 films. He decides he needs to go down in record books by making a glorious 500th film-a task much easier said than done. This film is a gem for Indians of a certain age (or just an American like me who is a lover of classic Indian films), because it is filled with guest appearances and references to actual films and character actors from those years. As an admirer of Indian cinema, I found it sheer delight watching the "Easter Egg" surprises from scene to scene. But you don't have to be a amateur Indian film historian to enjoy the beauty of this film. That's because it's the universally relatable and entertaining story of one man's dream of success fallen short, what he does when he decides to give it one last shot, and ultimately, his realization that some successes are more important than others. DO watch this for the humor, the pathos, the simple joy and, if for no other reason, for the fact that Sanjay Mishra ranks as one of the most talented character actor to have ever graced Indian cinema. He is almost always a sure bet, and ironically, he succeeds beautifully in this, his first main "hero" role-that of a character actor. Hats off to Red Chillies for this fine production.

What did I just watch?? I thought it was the second season of Altered Carbon, but this bore no resemblance to the amazingly good first season of the series. True, it is hard to follow excellent actors like James Purefoy and Joel Kinnaman (that whole cast was perfect), but in this second season, the main characters are just like cardboard cut-outs in comparison. Anthony Mackie tries his best, but there is zero chemistry between him and Renee Elise Goldsberry-ZERO. And while she has lots of kudos for previous performances, she is so wooden in this one that it's almost like she's not the same person. (Maybe she's in the wrong sleeve?) She wears the same facial expression throughout, not to mention the same clothes and the same extremely unfortunate pointy-headed hairstyle. It becomes a chore to watch them onscreen together. The love between Tak and Quell is supposed to be the story arc that fuels everything else but instead, where there are no sparks, there is no fire. We just don't care. In fact I was hoping for a little something between Simone Missick's character and Mackie's. Her portrayal of Trepp, the bounty hunter with a heart of gold, proves that if she had been cast as Quell, this very well might have been a pretty decent season. There are other good performances. Lela Loren is perfect with her creepy portrayal of the power-hungry governor, Dina Shihabi is very engaging as the earnest AI Dig, and Chris Connor steals the entire show in his reprisal of Poe from season one. The story is intriguing, the sets and costumes are good, the script is well-okay. But even those pluses just can't overcome the albatross of the poor connection between Mackie and Goldberry that weighs the rest down. For those of us who were so anticipating this second season, this is a very poor showing. Almost as bad as the last episode of GofT. Almost.

Despite the fact that Fox has been very obvious about building its cast of 911: Lone Star right out of the diversity Bible, they've put together a kick-butt slate of characters I really look forward to seeing develop. There is so much potential here for some really interesting story line developments! Rob Lowe was the perfect choice as the hip but not too hip 9/11 hero newly moved to the Hill Country to help rebuild a firehouse which lost its entire crew, minus one, in an explosion. Some of his choices are a muslim woman, a latino man, a transgendered man, his own gay son. The dialog is sharp and witty without being too blithe and breezy like some of the fireman hero shows I've seen in the past. And as a Texan who knows all about keeping Austin weird, I enjoy the subtle comparisons between it and the Big Apple. Really excited to see Liv Tyler as an extremely competent paramedic captain and Lower's possible love interest, but the two most exciting cast choices are Brian Michael Smith as the trans fireman and FINALLY, we get to see Jim Parrack back in a regular series (his appearance in the totally misguided October Faction doesn't count). He was always a favorite as Hoyt in True Blood and I'm glad to see him in what looks like a show that is going to be really great. It is still finding its legs, but the show and cast are solid. If the writers keep doing their part, it will be a hit.

Some called this show boring, unimaginative and conventional. For the life of me, I don't know what they were watching because this series is a delight. AJ andthe Queen examines the difference between who we are on the outside as opposed to who we are on the inside and where/how those two things may intersect. It's true that the first few episodes are uncomfortable-the actors don't seem to really hit their stride with their characters yet. The result is acting that is wooden and uninspired for some and for others, over-acting that's painful to see. But then (as often happens with a new series)the miracle happens about the third episode and AJ and the Queen finds its feet, getting better and better with each episode following. Performances smooth out, and the audience can focus on the characters and story-line rather than performance flaws. RuPaul has no peer when it comes to his drag performances. But in AJ and The Queen, we get to see not just his (and others') fabulous drag performances. We also get to see, through that lens of glitzy costumes and stereotypes of "Girrrrrrl!" and "B-h, puh-leez!", his character's story as well as the stories of others struggling to be who they want to be. RuPaul himself does a wonderful job portraying his character's journey from a lonely drag queen to-well, you'll just have to watch to see to what. I promise it is absolutely worth it! Izzy G's talent will be a force to be reckoned with when experience gives her polish. And honorable mention goes to the surprising and fun appearances by veteran actors Mark Singer, Adrienne Barbeau and Tia Carrera! Definitely worth the watch!

Sometimes when a producer has an out-standing concept, puts together a bunch of newcomers with a few C-listers and one or two seasoned actors, magic happens. Sometimes. But not this time. The premise is awesome: a group of people wake up on a deserted island (hey, it worked for "Lost") with no memory of who they are or how they got there. Will they figure out the mystery? Will they work together to form a new, productive society? Or will they repeat the chaos of Lord of the Flies? The answers to those questions form the rest of the series. And truthfully, many of the scene concepts are really, really good; production values are decent. But the script is as amateurish as several of the unknowns. (It's always a dead giveaway the writers haven't got a clue how to turn an idea into a fully-realized production when the characters spend more time looking at each other quizzically than speaking.) There were 3 people worth watching: Kate Bosworth as KC, Bruce McGill as Warden, and Kurt Schmid as Moses. This makes sense as all three have proven track records in the film industry, but they weren't enough to overcome the performances of others who were either wooden or just plain weird. And apparently, the director had no idea how to guide the neophytes into at least slightly convincing performances. I watched til the bitter end to see what the secret was, and I admit, it was still an awesome idea. But again, the shaping of the idea through poor scripting and amateur acting failed to further the cleverness of the original concept. If you MUST watch this, see the first episode, the parts with Bosworth and Schmid and then the end. Fast-forward is the only way to watch the rest.

I gave this film a 6 not because it succeeds as an action film but because it makes such a caricature of such films from Hindi cinema in the 80s. The end result is a hilarious (although not intentionally so) film during which you get to see impossible martial arts moves and almost every cliche in the Hindi film playbook. Some of those cliches include a kidnapping, mistaken identity, a stolen treasure, and really, really funny animal heros. Yes, you heard me. And here are even little Easter eggs of homage to classic Hindi movies. (Sorry, no thwarted romance.) Rajinikanth is stolen from his family as a toddler and raised by thieves. He becomes a car thief with a heart of gold and is hired to steal a treasure. Shakti Kapoor is an impossibly loathsome bad guy who hires him. Both seem to realize the campiness of their roles while Rajesh Rohan (yes, Hrithik's father) seems to take himself seriously in the role of impossibly noble policeman . But he makes the perfect foil for the other two. And let us not forget the animal heros: horses and dogs who understand Hindi perfectly and can think and act under their own agency-especially in a coordinated attack later in the film where hooves, teeth, fur come flying from all directions and a tiny menacing pomeranian drops from the ceiling to ravages a goon. No, I'm not kidding. You really have to see this! It's so much fun and so typical of 80s camp, Hindi cinema style. Pop some popcorn, grab a mango lassi and enjoy!

Zoya Akhtar is one of the premiere directors and screenwriters working in Indian entertainment today. Her big screen titles such as Luck By Chance, Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara, Talaash, Dil Dhadakne Do, Lust Stories, and Gully Boy stand head and shoulders above much other work being done in contemporary Indian film. And now her insight into the human condition has lit up the small screen as well with Made In Heaven. The story follows events which unfold not only as two best-friend wedding planners and their employees create weddings "made in heaven", but also as they all live out their daily lives. The famous John Lennon lyric from "Beautiful Boy" which says "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans" has perhaps never been better illustrated anywhere than in this brilliant series. Ubiquitous are the comparisons some Indians seem to feel a need to make between western productions and their own. With that in mind, it bears pointing out that Made In Heaven is a brilliant achievement regardless from whence it originated. Production values are seamless and stories mesmerizing as Akhtar, fellow writers, and co-directors Nitya Mehra, Prashant Nair, and Alankrita Shrivastava translate their vision to screen. The show "speaks" on so many social issues facing Indian society today with a marvelously deft approach that balances perfectly between story-telling and social exhortation. Never a dull moment here and the stand-out efforts of the proven talents of cast such as Sobhita Dhulipala, Arthur Mathur, Jim Sorbh, Shashank Arora, Kalki Koechlin and others make sure of it. Much has been made recently of small screen efforts such as Sacred Games and Delhi Crime. Made In Heaven is perhaps even better done than these. At the very least, the addition of Made In Heaven to the newly emerging catalog of fine Indian television drama makes one excited to see what comes next. And at the most, one devoutly hopes for Season Two.

First, I liked Jinn-unlike several other reviewers here. I thought the acting from a group of young unknowns was suitable-not great, but suitable. The story idea was a good one, albeit poorly executed, and I found myself wondering what might happen to the characters in a second season after that silly cliff-hanger ending, if given a chance to develop. (I keep thinking of Vampire Diaries which was also awful at first but then ran 8 seasons.) What I did struggle with was the unabashed westernization of the people and culture. I haven't been to Jordan, but I have spent a great deal of time in the Gulf area and in Arabic settings. My first thoughts were "Where are the hijabs?", then "Language like that from girls in public?" and "Oh my goodness! Was that a KISS on a public schoolbus?!?" No matter how innocuous that may seem to a westerner, believe me, to a Middle-Eastern or Gulf resident, it is most definitely NOT! And when the kids ran off for a secret party with alcohol?!? Drinking is permitted in certain situations in Jordan, but over 90 percent of Jordanians practice Islam which forbids drinking. I know we're speaking of rule-challenging teenagers here, but this drunken party on a school outing is far more Riverdale teenagers than Middle Eastern. In fact, the representation of Arabic culture in general and Jordanian specifically is probably insulting to real Jordanians. Jinn exhibits VAST cultural tone-deafness and that is troubling. What saves Jinn, however, is that it's something new in Middle Eastern media. Most series there have been very traditional and centered on adult issues. This show is the one of the first to break that mold by focusing on the angst of teenagers. It is truly ground-breaking and should get some respect for that alone. And also for that reason, it should perhaps be forgiven its clumsy western derivation as well. Fix that and it could be an interesting series worth a second season.

Can't figure out why this film has such negative reviews here! A large group of us went to see it, and afterwards, all were positively breathless and exhausted from the non-stop intensity of the film. It moved several of us to tears and we all agreed it could be an award winner! The actors, including Dev Patel, Anupam Kher, Nazanin Boniadi, Jason Issacs, Armie Hammer were excellent. There was not one moment that didn't have all riveted, both by the pathos of the individual stories as well as the excellent and effective direction of action sequences! Though not Indian, I am still well-acquainted with the fact that many films and documentaries have been made on this subject and have seen many of them. This one holds its own! Also, having stayed in Taj properties allows one to agree that "Guest is God" is indeed the supreme mantra there. The true fact that over half of those who were there at Taj Palace at during the horrific attack were real-life employee heroes who stayed to help guests is a story well-worth repetition. It's also is a testament not only to the sincerity of that maxim, but to courage and determination often present in much of Indian culture in general-fierce even when pitted against insurmountable odds. Highly recommend this film, particularly for westerners new to the story.

Black Summer is perhaps the most boring, yawn-worthy zombie show ever made. Yes, I said yawn and zombie in the same sentence. It's also possibly one of the worst programming decisions the content team at Netflix has ever made the decision to purchase. Really, this hot mess is almost insulting to zombir fans. Dialog is almost non-existant. So is any musical score, come to think of it. Also missing is anything that makes sense. It's random and there seems to be no plot...just a lot of people running around literally in circles while every once in a while, a jet roars overhead. God only knows why they're running around. Maybe it's the zombies, but then again, maybe not. And I kid you not...this is all these people do for eight full episodes. A few of them find guns and shoot zombies. A few of them are bitten and become zombies. And there really is not another single thing that happens. I watched it for 3 full episodes trying to give it a chance. I think I'm scarred for life now. Even hitting the :10 forward function all the way through the later episodes didn't help, because again-NOTHING happens. It's really quite a shame, too, because these zombies are actually scary. They can run fast, jump, climb and they make a pretty terrific growling sound that beats the heck out of the noises tv/movie zombies usually make. What a shame they were wasted in a ridiculous show like this.

One of the best police procedural series I have ever seen! Delhi Crime is not for the faint of heart, and most certainly not for children; it is dark, horrific, heart-breaking, infuriating. Knowing from the start that there is little chance of a happy ending to such a devastating true crime story is difficult to come to grips with, but the series still does an outstanding job of drawing the audience into the tenseness of the hunt, the pathos of the victim, the humanity of the officers and the question of whether or not the hardwork of the Delhi poluce will end in the ultimate payoff of capture. The approach of program creator Richie Mehta to present this as the "insider" story of the work of a police investigation racing against time, hampered by rumour, falsehoods, and political machinations succeeds beautifully. (And most definitely will strike a chord with western audiences as well!) The casting of a lead well-known for her big screen work (Shefali Shah) is brilliant and the intensity she brings to the small screen (without the melodrama which unfortunately can crop up in Indian television) is perfect. Sharing equally in her triumph are the other outstanding cast members, including Adil Hussain as the beleaguered police commissioner. Do take the time to view this really amazing production. It is a gem.

There are two films called Ek Aur Ek Gyarah. One stars Shashi Kapoor and was made in 1981. The other stars Govinda and Sanjay Dutt and was made in 2003. The names are the same, but the plots are completely different. This IMDb entry is incorrect. It contains the plot summary and cast information for the 1981 film, but the profile poster in this entry is for the 2003 film. Both are great films, but someone who is not as familiar with Hindi film names is going to be very confused. I am entering a plot summary for the 2003 film, puctured in the profile poster and my rating of 7 is also for that film. Two best friends named Tara and Sitara(Govinda and Sanjay Dutt), who consider themselves brothers, are fairly successful con men and burglars who end up at odds with a much more sinister crime duo called Cobra and Panther. Tara and Sitara go into hiding, managing to talk their way into staying at the guest house of a high-ranking Army officer named Ram Singh who is looking for the sinister crime duo. They do this by pretending to be former owners of the home who now are homeless, Tara faking paralysis in a wheelchair. Ram Singh also just happens to have a daughter and a younger sister who take a liking to Tara and Sitara and romance ensues. In the meantime, will Cobra and Panther find Tara and Sitara and wreak vengeance? This really is a very funny film and Dutt (who often plays a scary gangster type like in Vaastav:The Reality) is the perfect comic foil for the hilarious Govinda. I hope IMDb techs straighten this out. It was very confusing at first!

Don't let the overall 4.4 rating stop you from enjoying the best of mind-boggling masala film that Bollywood has to offer! (I can only guess the low rating may come from viewers unfamiliar with the traditional scope of a such a film.) Himmatwala was a huge commercial success, one of the highest grossing films of the 80s, and a film that launched the incomparable Sridevi into stardom. From crime to spiritual lessons to tragedy to fantasy to musical to light-hearted comedy to romance to heroes and villains and damsels in distress-Himmatwala has it all. Really, it could be the dictionary definition for masala movies. The film is definitely dated, but its successful recipe still guides some of the best mainstream, over-the-top film productions coming out of India today. In fact, it's far superior, imho. Where else could you see some of the best Bollywood actors ever (particularly the aforementioned Sridevi)pull out every single weapon in their acting arsenals all in the same movie? Sridevi as the jaw-dropping bad girl with a change of heart, unforgettable Shakti Kapoor as villain, man in love and comedic foil all in one. Amjad Khan as predictably bad guy again, but a surprisingly dynamic character who gets to be villain, devoted father and comedian-who would have guessed Gabbar Singh from Sholay could ever make you laugh? Jeetendra and Waheeda Rehman's characters as the absolutely essential static but noble hero and his mother-the good guys who fight the good fight to save everything Bollywood believes Indian culture holds dear! Plus all the wonderful clash of colors and unlikely sets of masala song sequences. You have to take it with a grain of salt (except perhaps the heart-breaking and almost too-real flood scenes), but when you watch a film like Himmatwala, it's all about the mindset and a very willing suspension of disbelief. And oh my goodness, the last 50 or so minutes make everything else you sat through worthwhile, especially Shakti and his construction crane! Do give this one a chance. It's worth it.

I was 14 when TOS came out. I'm in my 60s now, have been a loyal Trekkie my entire adult life, and I say ST Discovery has got potential! Yes, the first season was untypically dark, all about one person's guilt trip, but think of it this way: it was Star Trek the way it would have been written by screen-writers in the Terran Empire-gritty and mean, but still familiar. (And at least we didn't have to suffer a return of V'ger!) As for the gnashing of teeth over Klingon appearance, really?!? I just chuckled, remembered the change from TOS to TNG looks and Worf's explanation: "We do not speak of it." Enter the second season, admittedly much better! With the guest captaincy of Captain Pike and his swashbuckling reminiscent of James T., the return of endearingly corny dialogue a la every Trek iteration ever, as well as enlargment of scope to allow for true ST ensemble character development with the likes of Tilly, Stamets and Saru, Discovery settled down and began to look like true Trek. (Not to mention another slick Klingon explanation: "Now that the war is over, they're growing their hair back.) Bahaha! C'mon, the second season is fun! (Who cares if we never heard of Spock's step sister before? Sibling rivalry and alienation of affection go a long way toward explaining Spock's eschewing of his emotional human side, his eventual great attachment to Kirk, his replacement brother, and his combative relationship with Bones, his erstwhile nemesis.) You people are fussing over Discovery as though the show makers had done something really radical-like take the characters off a starship and put them on a base somewhere in deep space near the Cardassian border. Ahem. I hear they have renewed it for a third. To quote Captain Pike, I say..."Hit it!"

If you are not familiar with the history of Hindi films and are led by the high ratings here to expect a big masala movie indicative of contemporary Bollywood films, you may come away from this film scratching your head and wondering where the high ratings came from--particularly if you are new to Hindi cinema ( as opposed to " Bollywood").HOWEVER, having said that, let me encourage those who are unfamiliar with what is known as the "Golden Age" of Hindi cinema and the historical times that gave birth to this film to do some reading and THEN watch it. 1951 was only 4 years after partition, but unfortunately, many Indians were already becoming disenchanted with the new government's ability, or lack thereof, to bring about the sweeping changes many had hoped would come with the new beginning for the new country. Pyassa came at a time of disenchantment and soul-searching as the new socialist, secular India struggled to find her footing. (Author Tejaswini Ganti does an excellent job illuminating this very different yet important time in Hindi Cinema.) It presents a very bleak picture of greed and corruption, and yet there is a small beacon of hope for understanding, for good to find a way to continue, for equality to stand against injustice, hope for the future. Understanding this is integral to appreciating WHY this is considered one of the greatest films in Hindi cinema history. Learn, watch and enjoy.

I understand why this has so many good reviews. People (including me) really love this genre, and they'll watch it even when it's poorly done. After all, horror is in, supernatural is ultra cool, and Sabrina's eyebrows are on fleek. But there's no substance to this series. It's like the writers decided to take every horror cliche, mash it all up with every politically correct cliche and then serve it with a blood moon on top. The warmed-over plot-lines in this series might still be palatable if there were some great actors giving it their all. But the simple truth is that Kiernan Shipka just can't act. Her dialog delivery and timing is painful to watch. She has the same expression for every single emotion....those eyebrows cocked at the same for what? Worry? Fear? Disappointment? Joy? Happiness? Horror? It's almost impossible to tell. Her speech inflection is just downright disconcerting. I never knew whether she was complimenting someone or telling them to go to you know where. There is never any difference in her tone. Physically, her face is like a mask: mouth never moves...just tongue and teeth, creating a deadpan look so lacking in expression and so distracting that after a while, I found I couldn't care less about whether she signed the bloody book or not. Her supporting cast does their best, but there is zero chemistry between Shipka and, well, anyone else in the show. That's glaring in particular with Harvey, the mortal boyfriend. One ends up just really not caring what happens to that romance. Go ahead, Sabrina! Sign the book! The Dark Lord has GOT to be a step up from Harvey Milquetoast. Really, the best actor in the show is Sabrina's familiar Salem the cat. And he doesn't have any speaking lines. This show tries to bite off way more than it can chew and ends up choking on it. Riverdale, it is not. For a series based on the more recent comicbook and most def NOT the old tv spin-off from Bewitched, there isn't even any true comic relief built in. It takes itself far too seriously and would be so much better if it would lighten up.... and also recast the lead. Love the supernatural/horror genre? Do yourself a favor and binge Haunting of Hill House instead.

Beautiful scenery, excellent acting, thought-provoking story. However, this film is so wrapped up in itself, it fails to remember it has an audience to satisfy. In performance art films, audience is an integral part of what takes place, and the filmmaker has an obligation to provide the means for authentic interaction. The problem with "Hold the Dark" is that it is so obtuse, it frustrates viewers, rather than making a connection. Imho, if the viewer understands the film's central metaphor of humans as wild animals, particularly wolves, most of the confusion evaporates. Certainly the clues are there, but they are buried. Consider the following and then see if your understanding of the film is re-framed: The entire film is set in Alaska, a giant metaphor for wilderness and wildness beyond the usual veneer of human civilization. When the writer/wolf expert invited to a tiny Northern Alaska village tells the woman who has invited him there that his daughter is in Anchorage, she tells him "that's not the real Alaska down there", implying it's too civilized. The woman is Medora Sloan, whose son has been taken, she says, by wolves. Oddly in her letter invitation, she has told the wolf expert she wants him to find the wolf that took her child, but not to kill it. Later, when asked how she met her husband Vernon Sloan, she says she never met him,but that he was just in every memory she has ever had, implying they are from the same clan, family, even perhaps brother and sister and have followed wolf mating practices which can include incest. Even later, Medora assumes a wolf identity by donning a wolf mask when she tries to seduce the writer. And she tries to get him to strangle her as a part of foreplay, reminiscent of the biting and violence that accompanies actual wolf mating rituals. Meanwhile, in Iraq, Vernon dispatches insurgents and friendlies with equal "cold-bloodedness", prompting an observer to call him a "real meat-eater". (Interesting: Medora, the wife's name, is also the name of a town known as North Dakota's top tourist attraction which was originally founded as a meat-packing plant). And in a flashback, Vernon and son Bailey sit near the meat of a carcass of a freshly killed deer as he asks, "How did that feel?" Did that feel good?" Bailey agrees that it did. Eventually, the writer discovers Bailey's body of hidden in the house, dead from strangulation not wolves, and Medora is missing. Not long after that, he has the opportunity to see a wolf pack eating a dead pup, and we learn that's a common occurence when food is short or there is "something wrong" with the pups. BIG hint. When Vernon comes home from Iraq because the son has died, he is equally ruthless in dispatching anyone he sees as weak or unable to adequately perform their duties-the way a wolf pack will dispatch a sick member. There is also an exchange in which Vernon visits an Indian hunter who tells him they met when Vernon was a boy and that HIS father had wanted "wolf's oil" from the hunter in order to help Vernon who had something about him that was "unnatural" and "not right", implying something also was wrong with Vernon's son Bailey as well. This visit comes just after Sloan has been at a tiny hotel where his wife had stayed two nights before. The proprietor tells him the sheets have not been changed. Vernon enters the room, kneels by the bed, buries his head in the sheets, inhaling Medora's scent deeply with surprising longing rather than sadness or anger. Vernon also has a bond with a First Nations man who has lost a daughter to wolves...a possible hint that the incest practices of wolf-packs are at work in more families in the village than just that of the Sloans. And, true to pack behavior, the friend chooses pack over non-pack when he goes to extremes to protect and support Vernon as he begins his hunt for Medora. In contrast, Vernon kills an old woman who has broken the law of pack-first and she actually whines submissively as he stands over her, ready to strike the fatal blow. Things fall into place even more when Vernon, wearing a wolf mask on finding Medora, begins to strangle her-which then turns into making love. As for why the two dig up their son's remains and take the body with them? Recall the wolves eating the pups? Yep. Equipped with some of those insights, one should be able to not just more fully understand the balance of the film but also, hopefully, enjoy it.

"Maniac"" is one of those shows that, when it's over, you take a deep breath, think "What did I just see??" and then laugh out loud with delight! It's one of the freshest things I've seen for television in a very long time. I rated Maniac a 9 solely because the first episode was so odd and slow that I almost didn't watch any more. Having finished the series now, I get why it had to develop that way, but it's a drawback if you're a not-very-persistent viewer. But please DO keep watching. It just gets better and better and better...even past the end credits. Jonah Hill plays a severely withdrawn introvert with reality issues being pressured by his family to lie under oath for a brother. Emma Stone is a drug addict escaping a tragic past. They are both admitted into a pharmaceutical trial which stretches reality and imagination on the parts of their characters and the viewer alike. The quirky retro/future vibe of the setting only adds to the seemingly chaotic yet actually meticulously planned story-line. Justin Theroux is also marvelous as the "mad scientist" and Sally Field is brilliantly "icky" as his hug-therapy mother. Each episode features a new iteration of reality for the two main characters, fit into the frame of the drug trial. How they get through the iterations and still connect with their original lives is the backbone of the mini-series. A warning: make sure a friend watches it, too, because you're going to want to discuss endlessly after you seen it. Maniac is a gem!

I watched Cargo because I have a thing about zombies and post-apocalyptic scenarios. With a bent in that direction, I end up seeing a lot of junk. But Cargo is most definitely NOT junk. And the fact that Martin Freeman stars in it was all the added temptation to see it that I needed. Really, don't miss this. It's what I think of when I think of good Australian films: unabashed confrontation of life at its worst, met with courage, creativity and a little humour as well. Cargo is a lovely film whose title is heart-breakingly apt unexpected. It's about great love and great sacrifice, and it's simply a very different but beautiful approach to all the films of this genre that have come before it. It's about the message, not the gore. Freeman is always an extraordinary actor, and he rises to the occasion for this film as well. But he is the cherry on the top. The rest of the characters/cast members make a good showing as well. I highly recommend this one for your watch-list!

Definitely put this one on your watch-list! Anyone at all familiar with the films/tv that come out of Indian cinema knows that the supernatural horror genre (as opposed to something like Dhadak/Sairaat which I personally consider real life horror) has a long way to go in terms of development in India's film industry. Having said that, however, Ghoul was surprisingly good. and definitely worth viewing. The portrayal of ancient retribution for a totalitarian regime in the near future which has begun applying the word "terrorist" to anyone with a brain or philosophical bent (a swipe at BJP, I think) is good. Writer and director Patrick Graham ( a British writer based in Mumbai and working in the Indian entertainment industry) creates a good picture of the starkness of the setting, albeit a heavy handed-one. The whole lights and shadows and Brechtian set thing is way too heavy-handed, but then again, the focus is rightly on the action, not on the set--something again relatively rare in Indian film/tv. Radhika Apte is one of the most talented actresses working in Indian cinema today. (What I wouldn't give to see her take on a role with my personal idol Shah Rukh Khan-haha). Radhika brings to Ghoul the same kind of intensity we saw in her big-screen production Lust Stories, Phobia, Parched, Badlapur and in fact, one could honestly say that Ghoul is essentially a Radhika Apte vehicle (thanks, Netflix, wink wink) in which all the other actors are essentially props for her role. (No offense to Manav Kaul and Ratnabali Bhattacharjee.) I KNOW we will see more of Radhika. Hopefully, we will also see more significant development of the Indian horror genre like Graham's Ghoul. Congratulations. With Ghoul, this genre has come a long was since Darr at the Mall.

I haven't read Jenny Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before, so I came to this film without any preconceptions. I don't know whether the film followed the novel or not, but as a stand alone YA film, this was an absolute winner! It's so nice to watch a film not full of anger and pain and ugliness, but rather love and learning. And it was accomplished without any nudity and without any vulgar language. I'm not a prude by any means, but I get sick of the same old diet of sensationalism and crudity that pretty much every contemporary film made in Hollywood considers a requirement. The premise is perfect: what young girl has not written a love letter to a crush that she never intended to send? The storyline tracks well. The only thing that went slightly astray is the scene that alludes to the fact that in high school,, not everyone is who they seem. That hints at a back story that would be really fun to explore--maybe in a sequel? Lana Condor is perfect (albeit slightly typecast) as the quiet nerd. Noah Centineo's performance hints at acting depth that looks promising to develop further in future films. Anna Cathcart is adorable as the little sister who wants the best for her sibling. And it was nice to see Janel Parrish do a great job in a POSITIVE role (let's see her in more of those, okay, filmmakers?). Those were the stand out characters in my mind, but the supporting roles were well done also. This is the perfect family film--cute, entertaining, light, and one you would not be afraid to watch with your kids (or parents as the case may be). One small hint: keep watching after the credit roll. It's delightful.